Why worry if it all works out in the end?

Photo/courtesy

At the start of the year, I wrote on my vision board: “Everything I do will be my best. Expect the very best.” This declaration came after realizing that I was wasting energy worrying about things beyond my control. I decided to surrender to whatever would come my way this year—be it positive or negative—and accept it with grace. Choosing to see it as the very best happening.

Not long after, I read  When Breath Becomes Air  which to say  it didn’t completely shift my perspective would be an understatement. The book, a deeply moving memoir by neurosurgeon Paul Kalanithi, taught me invaluable lessons: the fragility of life, the importance of living with purpose, and the courage to embrace the unknown. It reinforced the idea that while life is uncertain, we should strive to live with integrity and find meaning in the present moment. In essense to be in complete acquiescence with everything.

But somewhere down the line, I lost that mindset. I slipped back into a cycle of seeing only the negative and forgot how to appreciate the now. It wasn’t until recently, when I picked up Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning, that I felt a jolt back to awareness. Frankl’s experience in the concentration camps and his insights on finding meaning even in suffering reminded me that life’s challenges are not just obstacles, but opportunities to choose our response. It’s a profound act of acceptance that demands faith—the kind mentioned in Jeremiah 29:11, where we’re encouraged to trust in a greater plan. It reminded me that many things in life are beyond our choices and reactions.

So, why worry if you’re not on this journey alone? Why worry if you trust in the divine purpose guiding your steps? Why worry if you are created in God’s image and are a testament to His work? Why worry about things you cannot control? Why worry if what seems negative is actually part of a bigger plan—or simply just is?

The truth is, we can’t comprehend the vastness of life or the universe, no matter how hard we try. We cannot determine what happens next even though Everything has a way of falling into place, and worrying about what we cannot change is a futile, exhausting exercise.

Max Ehrmann’s Desiderata puts it perfectly: “Whether or not it is clear to you, the universe is unfolding as it should.” This line captures the essence of trust—trust in the process of life, even when it’s unclear. It’s a reminder that we are all part of something far larger than ourselves, and that, ultimately, everything falls into place as it should.

I hope this reminds you of your place in the beautiful mess we call life. I hope it inspires you to be grateful for the present, to let go of unnecessary burdens, and to trust in the integrity of the grand scheme of things, to see this moment as the best—The very best.

And don’t worry. Because in the end, it all works out.

Quote

You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars. You have a right to be here.

– Max Ehrmann, Desiderata

Article by Hellen M